ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on the coronavirus pandemic will hold its maiden meeting on April 6.

Chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, the meeting will be briefed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on economic and business plans for the revival of the economy.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal will brief the panel on the situation related to Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and measures to respond to the challenge.

Members will also join the meeting through a video link.

The parliamentary committee comprises 12 MNAs and 13 senators headed by the speaker.

The committee includes Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Information Technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Minister for Housing and Works Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khawaja Asif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Asad Mehmood of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Khalid Magsi of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Shahzain Bugti of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Amir Haider Hoti of the Awami National Party (ANP), Akhtar Mengal of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) and Ghous Bux Mahar of the Grand Democratic Alliance.

Those who have been nominated for the committee representing the Senate are Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz, parliamentary leader of the PML-N Mushahidullah Khan, PPP’s parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Aurangzeb Khan from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Mir Hasil Bizenjo of the National Party, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F, Sirajul Haq (Jamaat-i-Islami), Usman Kakar (Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party), Sitara Ayaz (ANP), Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini (BNP-Mengal), Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah (PML-F) and Anwarul Haq Kakar of the BAP.

Moreover, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza are part of the committee as ex-officio members.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020